Yesterday, daughter Sarah called early to ask my take on Hurricane Florence. During part of my Marine Corps life my MOS was 6811 back in the day. The below gives an overview of the career field from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/
USMC Enlisted Job Descriptions & Qualification Factors
FIELD 68 – METEOROLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY (METOC)
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The METOC OccFld is the only earth science related OccFld in the Marine Corps. The METOC service OccFld is responsible for collecting, assessing and disseminating METOC intelligence relevant to friendly and enemy force strengths and vulnerabilities for the planning and execution of operations necessary to characterize the battlespace. This includes atmospheric, space, climatic and hydrologic intelligence for use in the production of Tactical Decision Aids (TDA) and METOC effects matrices. The METOC OccFld is comprised of MOS 6821, MOS METOC Observer, MOS 6842, METOC Forecaster, and MOS 6852, METOC Impacts Analyst, and is progressive in nature.
Marines entering the 6800 OccFld will complete formal training and receive MOS 6800, Basic METOC Marine and will participate in routine METOC service function while training for a designated MOS within the OccFld. As their skill enhancing training progresses, they become eligible to attend further formal MOS instruction. Billets include assignment to MEF, MEU, Intel Battalion, METOC Support Team (MST) , Marine Wing, Support Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station and Facility, TECOM, CBIRF, NMOPDC and instructor duty at MARDET Keesler AFB, MS.
My specific specialty was that of a Radiosonde Operator.
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Many of us in the Blogging World have hobbies, of course writing is the paramount one. We have Train, Food, Travel, Religion, Health and Beauty, and countless others. I guess, for the past fifty years Weather could be called one of my hobbies. I do not make it the quintesential topic of my Blog however. I am quite happy that on Thursday late and Friday I will be some 400 miles to the north of where Florence is projected to hit.
So, back to daughter Sarah who is really into weather. We will chat often during pending storms, a lot of the conversation surrounds the – What if’s? In years passed, we’ve had family pools as to where something will make landfall. Where will Florence land?
It is now 10:25 AM, September, 11, 2018, a new forecast and conditions upgrade will come out in thirty minutes. If you are in that Cone of Doom, take heed and prepare. I wish for you a safe riding out of the storm, don’t forget to check on the elderly.
Sarah came by for a visit this morning and we chatted about the storm. I can not help to think back to seventeen years ago. I was heading home from the dentist and Sarah called me, “Poppy, a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center”. So much has changed in the world since that day. We remember 9/11!
AP photo
As The Rooster Crows 